This invention relates to a method for printing a photographic picture, by which a selected image frame on an original picture film can always be printed with a same condition.
When an image frame on an original film such as a negative film is printed by a conventional photographic printing apparatus, the image frame is subjected to photometry each time by means of LATD (Large Area Transmittance Density) or an image sensor such as disclosed for example in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 60-177337. The above image sensor method is referred to "scanner photometry" hereinafter. It has been common that a printing exposure amount or an exposure correction value obtained thus by such scanner photometry is not memorized by the apparatus.
Hence, even when a selected same image frame is printed by a photographic printing apparatus having a photographic system for the scanner photometry once again or repeatedly for multiple printing, test printing, re-making and re-printing of the selected image frame, the same image frame has to be subjected to photometry at each time when such printing occurs. That is, an exposure calculation operation is made on the basis of the photometric data each time when even the printing is made. There is a drawback in this way of the photometric printing that even when the same image frame is repeatedly or one again printed, the exposure amount differs each time whereby densities of the prints vary each time. This variation or deviation of exposure correction amount is due to that when a negative film is removed once from a position where its image density was measured, it can hardly be relocated exactly to the same position, that in the case of image characteristic values such as the maximum densities or the minimum densities being employed as reference data, then reading undergoes variations or deviations on account of even slight fluctuations of the negative film or a small electrical noise thereabout, and that a different exposure operation formula could consequently be employed on account of even a small variation or deviation of the image characteristic values whereby there is produced a dispersion of the exposure correction amount.
Especially when a test print is made for a large sized picture, employing a photographic printer provided with a system having the scanner photometry, and if the test print is not identical with lately corrected multiple prints, there should be produced serious problems including a waste of labor and printing papers, an operational confusion and resulting unreliability on the photographic printer. It could be said that these problems are inherent to conventional photographic printing method. There has been developed a countermeasure which is to cope with such problems and in which an exposure correction amount is outputted on a photographic printing paper, and a next printing is made by inputting the outputted value while an input is manually made so that the exposure correction amount is interrupted. This countermeasure accompanies however a drawback that one is apt to forget to have the exposure correction amount interrupted or reoperated, anddoes not constitute therefore an entirely reliable solution.